Piping up for the future

Water board has $150 million, 30-year plan for improvements

CHIEFTAIN FILE PHOTO
A water main break at Eighth Street and Albany Avenue last month left some customers without service in October. The Pueblo Board of Water Works has a 30-year, $150 million plan to replace aging infrastructure throughout the city's water system.

BY CHRIS WOODKA
The Pueblo Chieftain

Published: November 13, 2013;Last modified: July 17, 2014 04:17PM

While the Pueblo Board of Water Works has been systematically replacing pieces of its water system for the past 40 years, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

“The system on the distribution side is in good shape,” said Terry Book, executive director. “Now, we’re dealing with infrastructure that is 50-100 years old, such as the water main rupture on Albany (in October). There is a finite life to these structures and we have to be proactive.”

Aging infrastructure is one of the most critical needs for water utilities across the country, explained Seth Clayton, director of administrative services.